crescendo

1(music,from Italian)a gradual increase in how loudly a piece of music is played or sungoppositediminuendoSee related entries:Reading music

2a gradual increase in noise; the loudest point of a period of continuous noisesynonymswellVoices rose in a crescendo and drowned him out.There was a tremendous crescendo of noise.The shrieks of laughter rose to a crescendo.(figurative)The advertising campaign reached a crescendo just before Christmas.